Stay With Me
by OldWBshows4ever
Summary: Just a little hurt/comfort fic involving sick!Jess and minor caretaking. Rory/Jess pairing. Set during season 2. May be slightly AU. One shot.


_Set in season two, winter. Rory is still together with Dean. Just some h/c fluff. Sick!Jess_. _Minor caretaking. Rory/Jess._

PS: I do not own Amy Paladimo-Sherman's fantastic show but I wish I did.

 **CHAPTER ONE**

There he was. The boy with the dark curly hair, in the corner of the street leaning against the building, trying to warm up his hands by twisting them and blowing air into them with his mouth. She hadn't seen him in awhile and she found that she had missed him.

He looks up from warming up his hands and sees her. A small smile crosses his face as he stands there. She decides to come up towards him. "Jess, you've been avoiding me." She is somewhat teasing him, but is also somewhat serious.

"I have not he protested." He coughs harshly into his hands. Rory looks a little bit concerned. "I've just . . ." he continues coughing.

"Are you okay?" Rory interjects.

He brushes her off. "I'm fine. It's just a cold." He sighs. "I wasn't avoiding you. I just haven't been feeling the best lately." And he didn't want her coddling him. He didn't need her help. Not when she was still dating Dean. Jess hates Dean.

"Aww, well, I would have brought you chicken soup." Rory looks at him with her brilliant blue eyes. "But you're better now? You sure? Because I think my mom still has a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup in the cupboard . . ."

Lorelai did not cook. Everyone in Sleepy Hallow knew that – it was why her and Rory were always at Luke's diner to begin with.

"I don't need your help." He came off a bit more harshly than he had intended, but he wasn't feeling well. His chest felt tight and he had a feeling that his cold had progressed into something more than a cold. But he didn't want to say anything to anyone. Luke would probably force him to go to a doctor and that was the last thing that he wanted. He would be fine.

"I'm only trying to help!" Rory looks hurt. Jess doesn't like seeing Rory hurt. It hurts him. He likes her too much. Like, no, who is he kidding. He loves her. Has loved her since he saw her in her room.

"Sorry," he mumbles. "I know. Why don't we just go over to Luke's?" Luke had soup. Homemade soup. And then he could go to bed which looked pretty inviting right about now.

"Sure," Rory replies smiling up at him. She is free at the moment – Dean and her have plans for tomorrow. But somehow, Rory doesn't really care about that. She's more concerned about Jess who is currently coughing up a storm as they slowly make their way towards Luke.

Once inside, Jess plops down at a table. Luke glances at his nephew – he hasn't seen him in a little while and doesn't like what he's seeing. He knows he had a cold the last time he saw him but it wasn't nearly as bad as now. His coughing is what really concerns him.

Luke comes over to their table with a bowl of chicken soup and puts it in front of Jess. "Make sure he eats it," he told Rory. "I will," she promises.

Meanwhile, Jess is still coughing. When he finally stops Rory puts a hand on his arm. "Are you sure you're okay, Jess?" she asks. He doesn't answer right away, instead burying his face in his hands and scrubbing it hard. "I'm fine," he lies. "I'm fine." The second time is more to convince himself that he is actually fine. Not to convince Rory who probably wouldn't be convinced unless he wasn't coughing.

When had his cold gotten this bad?

"Well, Jess, if you're sure you're okay," Rory says slowly, "I guess I'd better go. I have some homework to do." She leaves out the part about meeting Dean tomorrow. It is true that she has homework but she is omitting the reason she needs to get it done tonight rather than later.

Jess puts a hand on her arm. "Stay," he mumbles. "Don't go." He doesn't want her to leave. "You're meeting him, aren't you?" Jess's tone is accusatory.

"I'm doing homework!" Rory gets up. "Not everything is about Dean!" She is instantly angry. "I'm leaving since you're clearly okay." She picks up her coat and puts it on and then storms out. _Unbelievable! She thinks._ There's never a time when they _can't_ argue, is there? Jess gets up and runs out after her.

"Rory, wait!" he sprints to get in front of her. "Rory, I'm sorry. I didn't want to make this about Dean, okay?" He sighs. "I'm just not feeling well." He admits. "I'm sorry. Stay a little longer?" Rory softens. Jess doesn't look good. "Okay," she says grabbing his arm. "Let's get you out of the cold." She drags him back in Luke's diner. But instead of staying downstairs, she drags him upstairs.

"But Luke's home!" he protests.

"The diner is drafty!" she insists. "You need to be upstairs where its warmer, in bed." Jess just sighs. He wanted to be alone with Rory. But that's not going to happen with Luke around. No way. He wishes Luke had more of a life, that he'd date someone instead of just pining after Lorelai all of the time. But nope. Hence his uncle is always home when he's not working in the diner.

It's kind of annoying.

"Fine," he muttered. "But I blame you for this." They open the door and Luke is there of course. "Jess, how's that cold?" he asks. Jess shrugs. "It's okay." He coughs again disproving his point.

"Doesn't sound like it," Luke replies. Jess shrugs again. "It's a little worse. I'll be fine." He looks at Rory. "Gonna be my nurse or something?" he asks.

"I just want to make sure you're okay!" She throws him a book. "Read." What Rory really means is read, and sleep.

"Main Street?" It's a novel by Sinclair Lewis. He's read it before. It's not his favorite, but it'll do. He lies back on his bed and props it open. He sees Rory watching him though, so he sets the book down. "What?" he asks.

"Nothing!" she blushes, embarrassed. It was true, she was watching him. God, she likes him. He's what she thinks about. Not Dean. Jess. "You wanted me to stay though, so I am. I'll stay until you sleep, okay?" She looks at Luke. "Is that okay if I stay?"

Luke glances between the two of them. "Yeah, it's okay." He stands up and moves to leave. "I'll be down in the diner. Come down and holler if you need anything." He'll check up on the two of them later.

More like in the next 10 minutes, and every 10 minutes after that until Rory leaves. He trusts Rory but not his nephew. Though at least he's sick and Rory is dating Dean so they couldn't get in too much trouble, could they?

Back upstairs, Rory is sitting at the edge of Jess's bed. He's lying down with an arm draped across his forehead. He knows he's running a slight fever but he's trying to ignore it. He doesn't want to worry Rory. But his shivering gives him away.

"Are you cold?" she asks. "You should get under those covers. But I'm not tucking you in!" She folds her arms across her chest. "Why'd you want me to stay so bad anyhow?" It's not like they are doing anything.

"Because," he mumbles starting to feel sleepy as he buries himself under the covers. He gives a yawn and then a muffled cough before he finally speaks again. "You make me feel better."

And then he is out, sleeping so soundly, not even the dead could wake him.

Rory leaves, but not without leaving him a note first.

 _Jess,_

 _Hope you feel better soon._

 _Rory_

 **END**


End file.
